Don't Mess With Texas
by irishlassliz
Summary: NM slight OOC. The Cullen's never returned and now I'm trying to figure out who I am and who I want to be without them. I can't do that here in Forks, its just too easy to get bogged down in memories. Maybe a nice sunny climate where no self respecting vampire would ever settle.


**Summary: NM slight OOC. The Cullen's never returned and now I'm trying to figure out who I am and who I want to be without them. I can't do that here in Forks, its just too easy to get bogged down in memories. Maybe a nice sunny climate where no self respecting vampire would ever settle. **

**Author's Note: I'm a Pack girl myself but, after reading moore8879's "There's no such thing as too much PB&J!", I became intrigued by the possibility of Bella relocating as a healthy method of moving on. Specifically relocating to Texas so that she could become reacquainted with our two favorite good ol' boys. I'm also from San Antonio so the story made me super home sick and this is my outlet. **

**At this point I'm not sure who my OOC Bella will end up with, if anyone, so for the time being I'm only going to call this a Bella story. Besides, it is slightly archaic to categorise a woman by the man she is with don't you think? :-)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Twilight Series, nor any of the characters described in the aforementioned series. I only claim rights to the original story line these characters participate in.**

Don't Mess With Texas

Bella's POV

Who asks a bunch of 20 year olds to write their autobiographies?

I mean, sure, there may be the odd 20 something that has made an accomplishment of note, been blessed with a highly interesting or influential family, or had something particularly horrific happen to them in their short life, but, mostly, this must just be an exercise in tedium on our professor's part. Maybe Professor Moore just really hates Joe the TA and grader. At the very least, with only 20 years material, it will be relatively short reading...well, except Owen's, who, in our Intro to Writing Fiction class last semester, couldn't write a "short" story to save his life. Or his grade for that matter. Man that was a rough couple of weeks holding his hand as he suffered through the unit. We may be friends and I love him, but when he kept going on and on about how 'He just had so much he had to share' and 'How can you condense perfection?' blah blah blah...even I had a hard time stopping myself from calling him a pompous dilettante and leave him drown in a sea of his own BS.

Maybe life is just different for 20 year olds in Texas. In Washington and Arizona, things don't really pick up until you are at least able to legally drink. Unless, of course, you are one Miss Isabella Marie Swan and you are a magnet for supernatural weirdness. But therein lies my personal conundrum with this assignment. With my history, I could have the most action packed essay out of the bunch. But, if I was to include the whole truth and nothing but the truth, I would, undoubtedly, be carted off to the loony bin shortly after.

So, yielding to my own better judgment, I'm stuck slowly reliving only the most mundane moments of my life and realising, at the end of the day, I might end up with the most boring essay of the bunch. Being a child of divorce just isn't the page turner it once was and I've never really had a social life, so that leaves me with school, cooking, and book. God, the edited me is really dull.

Well, if I'm gonna do this, I'm going to need some food and a more stimulating atmosphere than the library to distract me from the monotony that is my vampire and werewolf free life story. The college hang out right off campus 'Cool Beans' should be just the ticket. It may sound like it should be a coffee shop but I think the owners were just really banking on that phrase's second revival sticking for good. Not like I could judge, I'm still waiting for 'like a mug' to come back. Regardless of its confusing name, Cool Beans boasted tasty but reasonably priced food, a well stocked bar for those old enough to partake, bar games like darts and pool, and normally a nice selection of cute boys.

Now, I may not have dated since the beginning of my senior year of high school, but I am now at the point where I can window shop without feeling like I'm cheating or playing out scenarios in my head of how random guys will invariably break my heart before even speaking to them. Most would view this as an overreaction to being dumped by your high school boyfriend, but I was left by my first love and the family I thought I had gained and then was unable to talk through things with anyone because they were all vampires. So, come on, I'm doing the best I can.

I did try talking things through with my best friend Jacob, but, as a werewolf, he just can't give impartial advice about being jilted by a vampire. Understandable, what with them being mortal enemies and all, but still frustrating. There was lots of 'You're better off without that leech' and 'You can get a tan now that those blood suckers are gone'. Yes, because I was golden brown before I met the Cullens.

Regardless of how far I still have to go, I've made progress in the last two years and that is all I or anyone else can expect.

Anyway, I've really put more effort into getting mySELF back on track rather than my love life. Which most people, aside from Jessica and Lauren from back in Forks, would view as very healthy behavior. After the Cullens left and Jacob helped me out of my "zombie" phase, Jessica, in a very misguided attempt at being a good girlfriend, tried to push me into dating as I was now a "free agent". Needless to say, after a few stabs at playing match maker, Jess became frustrated and endeavoured to help Lauren make me feel like a loser for not having a man. The fact that this was my choice did not factor into their taunting. It hurt a bit but after what I had been through it wasn't too terribly hard to grin and bear it until graduation. My GPA didn't take too hard a hit with Zombie Bella at the wheel but I did approach school with a renewed vigour in my quest for self betterment and ended up graduating in the top ten of my class.

While attempting to rediscover the "real" Bella I realised I couldn't stay in Forks as I had once passionately fought to do. There was just too much baggage holding me down there. I would miss Charlie desperately and I felt a little bad about still having spent so little time with my father over my life but we now had a better relationship that could stand the test of separation and he understood and fully supported my need for distance from the recent trials I had faced in order to move on. It also helped that he had recently begun "spending time" with Sue Clearwater. I couldn't get him to admit he was dating her but it made me feel better that he would be eating real meals when she was around if no other time.

So, I applied to and was accepted at the University of Texas at Austin. It fit my educational criteria of being a long standing and highly respected institution with a strong English department and my social criteria of being located in one of the sunniest areas of the country where no self respecting vampire would ever take up residence. Hook 'Em Horns.

Now here I sit at the bar of Cool Beans with the remains of my burger and fries, nursing a virgin rum and coke, desperately trying to jazz up my hum drum life when all I really want to do is go home and read the newest assigned reading for Native American Lit class. Oh yeah, I'm the life of the party.

Well, it's starting to get a bit late so maybe I'll call a time out of the essay and see what talent we have in here tonight. There was this one Hispanic guy that I had seen a few times over the last couple of weeks. He usually came in with a bunch of friends but we had made eye contact a time or two. Last time he smiled and then I had smiled back but one of his friends drew his attention away and I had enough time to chicken out. So I was working my way up. Maybe if he was here tonight I could must up a "hi". With this essay as my alternative activity I might just have the motivation to do it.

My eyes roved around the place, attempting to look casual, but not wanting to miss my chance by not looking carefully enough. Not at the bar to my left, not at the bar to my right, not across from me as the bar continued around in a square. Ok, now time to start checking booths and tables. I surveyed the occupied booths that ran along the walls and then did a quick scan of the smattering of tables between them and the bar. Well darn, my Hispanic maybe honey was nowhere to be seen. In a last ditch attempt I craned my neck and checked the raised area in the back that housed the pool tables and dart boards, but had no such luck.

With a huff I slumped back into my stool, turned my focus back to the half finished essay and small stack of books in front of me and tried to decide what to do. On one hand I was disappointed that I didn't get my shot or my distraction from an unpleasant task, but on the other I was relieved because I doubted very highly that even if I did manage to speak to the guy, it was more than likely not going to be poetry or even...coherent.

I looked at my cell phone to check the time. It was starting to get a bit late, maybe I should just call it a night, go home, finish the damn essay, and go to bed before ten, on a Friday no less, like the incredibly boring person that I am. I could always embarrass myself on another day. I turned around towards the entrance to check if it was dark yet out the windows and that's when I saw him. Walking toward the bar and, consequently, right towards me.

My eyes may have widened in shock for just a second but I don't think he saw as he scoping out the room and I quickly turned back to the bar. Thankfully Inner Bella soon began barking orders at me.

_Lock it down Swan, show no fear! Put on your poker face. Everything will be fine._

I wiped what little shock I had registered off my face and I now had Lady Gaga's 'Poker Face' playing in my head so I had a little smiling playing across my lips. God help me, I hate that I love that song.

Having gotten control of my outside reaction I attempt to calm the rest of me. Beep breath through the nose and out the mouth. Everything will be alright. I picked up my Native American Lit book in order to aid in the facade of calm while continuing to reign in my nerves. My heart was going a mile a minute and that was not good given the situation.

That was because I wasn't having this strong a reaction to the possible embarrassment of talking to the guy I had been kind of crushing on. That seemed like a walk in the park now. I wish I still had that door to choose from for tonight's activities. No, my near panic attack was caused by the vampire that was now walking up behind me towards the bar.

He was crazy pale and CRAZY beautiful, which, for those in the know, add up to a dead giveaway of...the undead.

The pale thing on its own could have been nothing but in Texas it was less likely. Heck, even I had upgraded my foundation color from 'Ivory' to 'Warm Rose'. Even this late in October he would at least be red from the heat or possibly slightly sunburned. But, paired with the beauty there was no denying it. This guy was a vampire and he was going to be standing next to me right nnnnnnn...ow.

I saw to my left in my peripheral vision as he place his hands on the bar, leaned over it slightly and look beyond me attempting to get the bar tender's attention. In doing so he leaned slightly closer to me and I had to stop myself from flinching away. I kept my eyes glued unseeing to my book.

"Hey buddy, can I get two whiskies neat?" I heard him ask.

Apparently he had succeeded in gaining his required response because he leaned back and casually began lightly drumming his hands on the bar as he waited.

The bar tender must have been backed up because the vampire had to wait long enough that he felt the need to reposition himself; turning his back to the bar, leaning backward on his elbows with his hands hanging limp. He wasn't doing this to get comfortable while he waited for his drinks. No, a vampire would be perfectly comfortable standing ram rod straight for hours or days on end. This one was obviously used to fitting in with humans as he replicated our mannerisms seamlessly. Maybe he was like the Cullens and lived peacefully alone side humans. Maybe he was a "vegetarian" like they were, only feeding on animal blood. I had gotten my heart just about under control, can't expect too much under these circumstances, but curiosity was now getting the better of me and I couldn't help sneak a better look at him.

Not taking my eyes off the words on the page I laid my book down on the bar, holding it open with one hand, I slid my own elbow onto the bar and leaded forward to rest the side of my head in my hand. I hadn't raised my eyes but I was basically facing the vampire. I took a deep breath to further steady myself and looked up.

Lucky for me he wasn't looking in my direction at the moment but over his shoulder towards the booths on the far wall. I knew now that I had never met or even seen this vampire before. Physically he looked like he was in his early to mid twenties but of course that weighed little on telling how old he actually was. He was dressed casually in typical fashion for guys of this area; a hunter green plaid button up with the sleeves rolled up to his mid forearm and the top four buttons undone revealing a teasing view of his chest, paired with loose fitting light wash distressed jeans and pair of chunky brown boots. Not fancy dudes like Cullens wore but also not like the rough and ready nomads I had encountered. He was probably a little over 6 feet, but I couldn't be sure with the way he was standing. He had long pale blond hair that was pulled back into a pony tail and the long and lean frame of an athlete.

_Stupid vampires and their effortless good looks and rockin' bodies. _

Inner Bella was right. Just didn't seem fair, live forever and never have to worry about what you look like. I mean, come on, they had all the time in the world to put in the effort, not even having to sleep. I took a bit more offence to this fact now that I actually did put effort into the way I looked. Not the way Alice had tried with clothes but I got into working out thanks to a combination of my super athletic freshman year roommate, Kelly, and the fact that the campus gym was already covered in my room and board fees. Have to make your fun where you can when you are a broke college student. I now ran around campus every other morning before classes and went to the gym at least three times a week for weights. Dare I say it, but with all that and my extra color I was actually starting to like my body. Plus I felt healthier, more alive. Yet further proof that I am trying to focus on me and who I want to be.

During my internal musings and scrutiny, vampire boy had shifted his gaze to the booths on the other side of the room. He still wasn't looking at me but I could now see his face. Of course his face was flawless, strong brow, high cheek bones, straight nose, full lips and the hottest cleft in his chin, but I was confused by his eyes. There was no doubt in my mind he was a vampire, but I had never heard of any having indigo eyes. Black yes, gold I had seen quite a bit, even red, but I had never...

The piece clicked together in my brain with an also audible snap. Red eyes with blue contacts would make a deep purple color. He was most definitely not a nice vegetarian vampire. There was a human drinking vampire not two feet away from me and I couldn't suppress the whispered "Oh" that passed my lips at that realisation.

With my involuntary vocalisation I finally had the attention I had successfully avoided from him till now. He shifted his stance so that he was facing me and only leaning onto the bar with one elbow. With playful interest in his eyes he gave me a charming half smile.

"Hello there. I'm Peter. What are you reading there?" He said with just enough of a Texas accent to be charming but not overdone.

I gave what I hoped was a small but friendly smile and shifted into a slightly more upright position, still leaning on the bar but no longer resting my head in my hand.

"Nice to meet you Peter. Oh, you know, just something for school." I said flipping the book closed to show the cover but keeping my spot with one finder.

"Ohhhhh, Indians. I was always more interested in cowboys myself." Peter looked down at the book and then back at me smiling with a bit more amusement I thought than that comment merited.

"I think they prefer the term Native Americans but yeah I hear the cowboy partiality a lot, especially here in Texas." Trying to keep it light but easing myself back into a sitting position and turning myself back to the bar. With the no dating, I'm not well versed in body language, signals and what not but I was pretty sure I was politely saying 'I'm not interested, please leave me alone'. Desperately attempting to not say 'Please don't eat me'. Well, that's what I thought I was saying anyway but Peter was undeterred and slid fractionally closer to me.

"So, you go school at UT?"

"I most certainly do" I said with a polite smile turning only my head towards him to answer.

At that moment I was saved from this awkward and potentially life threatening exchange by the bar tender finally arriving with Peter's drinks requesting payment. While Peter was otherwise engaged fishing out his wallet at human speed I took the opportunity to retrieve my tote bag from the back of my stool and begin packing up my long forgotten essay and the few books I had with me. I wasn't fast enough. With the two tumblers of amber liquid still on the bar Peter turned his attention back to me.

"Going so soon? I would offer to buy you a drink but it took me so long to get these that it might be last call before they arrived."

"That's ok, I'm not 21 yet so couldn't drink it even if it did come." I tried to sound as if this was a shame not a god send.

"I won't tell if you won't tell." He said in a mock conspiratory tone and leaning in a bit closer. I realised something, he was flirting with me. It was just a ploy to get me alone so he could kill me but it was still super weird to have it happen and even more weird that I noticed.

"My father is a cop so I really couldn't. Still can't bring myself to even speed." Why am I still talking to him? I don't need the human drinker getting any more interested in me.

"Oh boy howdy do I understand that. My old man was ex-military and it took me a while to let loose at all." I nodded my head understandingly.

_What are you doing? Do not get to know and commiserate with the evil vampire. What are you doing Swan? Have you learned nothing? Remember that scar on your hand? That is what happens when you run with human drinkers._

Inner Bella was right but how the hell do I get out of this? It's not like I can overpower him or run away. If he has his unbeating heart set on my blood there is little I could do. That was a depressing but oddly liberating feeling. The most I could hope for was that he lost interest and found someone else and with my vampire track record that might just be possible.

"So hey, me and my brother are having a little get together at our place if you're interested. Nothing big just hanging out, maybe some underage drinking if you have changed your mind..." He finished with a teasing smile.

"Your brother? And where is he?" I was confused. The Cullens told me blood drinkers didn't form strong bonds due to their dietary choice and I didn't remember the members of James' coven referring to each other in a familial manor. Maybe this was just a cover to set the co-eds at ease.

"Right over there in the booth talking to...what would appear to be the pledge class of Alpha Delta Pi." He chuckled, "Sometimes that boy just can't help himself." Peter said while turning and pointing towards the booths he had been watching earlier.

I looked in the direction he indicated and saw a corner booth filled to capacity with giggly sorority girls who all had their undivided attention trained on the man perched on the outmost edge of their booth as if he had just recently joined their party. As if I hadn't been shocked enough this evening, I was now staring at one of the members of my former family. Jasper...

Though I instantly recognised him I was shocked by the amount of changes I could detect. I always assumed if I ever saw one of the Cullens again it would be as if not a day had passed. Of course he still had the same shaggy honey blond hair and lean muscular build along with that other worldly beauty they all had. But I don't think I had even seen him look so comfortable and at easy, especially in a room full of humans. He had always looked pained due to constantly being at war with his thirst. He was also slightly more casually dressed then I remembered him ever being. He was still all but covered head to toe as I remember with a heather grey v-neck sweater with a royal blue button up beneath, dark wash boot cut jeans and well maintained white tennis shoes. He looked nice, but, dare I say it, he looked like he bought off the rack. How could Alice condone such behavior?

Perhaps my answer was in the biggest change to Jasper's appearance. Peter said they were brothers and that statement was never more believable then when you looked at their distinctive and matching eye color. Even from this distance and with my weak human vision I could tell Jasper no longer had the Cullens golden eyes, but rather the odd indigo eyes I had noticed on Peter earlier.

I didn't understand, how could this happen? Was this all my fault? How could Jasper no longer be with the Cullens anymore?

Well, as Peter wasn't going away. I suppose this was my one card to play. Although after me and Jasper's last meeting I may very well be digging my hole deeper. I turned back to Peter who still had an amused look on his face, presumably over his "brother's" prowess with the ladies, but was now looking down at me as he absentmindedly swirling the whiskey around the glass he now had in his hand.

"Sorry Peter, but I don't make a habit of going home with human drinkers." I was surprised at just how casually this came out. You would have thought he was just some guy I was teasing for presuming I would go home with him. I even smiled.

If I hadn't been looking at him in the eye I might have missed the slight sock in eyes but he was good and shifted to lean sideways onto the bar again with that half smile from earlier.

"I'm not sure I understand your meaning sweetheart."

Ahhh, he was going to attempt to convince me he wasn't what I thought he was. Little did he know just how fruitless his attempt would be, he had already given me undeniable proof in the form of his "brother". Still looking at Peter I continued to speak as if I was addressing him.

"Jasper, when did you fall off the wagon?"

I thought I saw Peter's lips move in that crazy vampire fast talk thing but I couldn't be sure. My eyes darted quickly to Jasper and back but he was still happily chatting with the Alpha Delts as if he hadn't heard me. I might have been wrong but his legs might have now been angled towards us as if in preparation to move quickly.

"Sweetie, I'm Peter. Have you already met my brother Jasper? I have been told we look alike."

I almost laughed, as it was I couldn't hold back the wide grin that spread across my face or stop myself from shaking my head in disbelief. Yeah they looked alike, it was all in the eyes. I almost felt bad for this guy, he was trying so hard. He didn't know that I already knew everything. He probably thought I was just some girl Jasper had gone to school with while he was with the Cullens and I just thought I knew something. Well, time to put a stop to that conclusion.

"Jazz, are you really going to let Peter here have me? I bet you've been thinking about my blood for the past two years." I said still looking at Peter and speaking normally.

That did it. Peter's face finally fell and his amused happy face was replaced with one of annoyance. I didn't take my eyes off of him but out of the corner of my eye I saw Jasper extricate himself from the very disappointed ADPs and make his way over to us. I set my tote down on the bar and turned myself towards the two of them so I could get a better look at the brother of my ex-boyfriend, the husband of my former best friend and the man I thought I would one day look to as a brother. I couldn't help but feel awkward even given the situation. Was I the reason for his exile from the Cullens and above all his wife? I had made his existence so difficult in Forks I couldn't help but feel guilty that he might still be suffering from the ramifications of my presence after all this time.

On the other hand, Jasper started out looking annoyed, similar to Peter, as he came to stand next to the first man. Then his expression became confused as he looked at me. Did I really look that different after only two years? Though I suppose he would be used to the people in his life staying exactly the same. The last emotion I saw pass over his face was shock and then a split second later I had his stone hard and very strong arms wrapped around my shoulders and his face buried in my hair. Of all the socks of this incredibly shocking evening, this one took the cake. For a moment I had no idea what to do, I just stared at Peter who now looked even more annoyed.

After a quick mental shack I was able to reciprocate Jaspers embrace and wrapped my arms around his solid chest. The irony didn't escape my notice that the first time we had physical contact was when he was probably the most dangerous to me.

**Author's note: Next up is Jasper's point of view. This is my very first attempt at fanfiction so be honest, but not brutally so.**


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